Battlefield 711
Blogs, Sagwan Namwaran
It goes without saying that travel to multiple foreign destinations is considered an enviable opportunity by most Filipinos, I believe, however, that the opposite is true. International travel is, by and large, a crucial litmus test for any citizen of any nation simply because it allows a rare opportunity for one to see himself and his race versus the world in real time and space.In other words, travel exposes what one carries in his own heart.
The 7-11 Convenience Store is a battlefield.
My numerous candid and intellectual exchanges with fellow Asians from Japan, Thailand, Korea, Singapore, China, and Malaysia among other Asian nations painfully revealed to me the deplorable position of the Filipino race in the world today. My travels around Asia shredded my heart for my motherland. It made we weep for my people, dream greater dreams for my people, and it exposed in me the frivolity of living a life for personal glory. We are truly only as good as the lowest of our kind. If the world sees us as a nation of slaves, then we are indeed all slaves. Our personal achievements, university degrees and pedigree cannot exempt us from this.
The world perceives us through a civilizational and racial viewfinder. In other words, if you are a Filipino, you are and always will be brown inside and out. If there is one question that must be resolved it would be the question of the kind of Filipino that one is. Are we Filipinos who are, like Nabisco’s infamous chocolate quoted cookie, brown on the outside and white on the inside? Or are we Filipinos who are heirs of the great legacy of Jose Rizal, the ‘Pride of the Malay Race’ and the ‘Glory of the Universities’?
The words of the Singaporean government resonate in my mind every time I am confronted with the question of the importance of national identity. “Singaporeans are not Americans or Anglo-Saxons, though we may speak English and wear Western dress. If over the longer term Singaporeans became indistinguishable from Americans, British or Australians, or worse became a poor imitation of them, we will lose our edge over these Western societies which enables us to hold our own internationally.” It was Singaporean President Wee Kim Wee who said that it was necessary to first identify the core values “that capture the essence of being Singaporean”.
I remember a conversation I had with a Singaporean friend of mine of Tamil descent. A student at the National University of Singapore, my friend ebulliently talked about her insights about the Singaporean youth, her dreams for her tiny island state and her pride in her Asian heritage. According to her, the life and writings of our national hero Dr. Jose Rizal are being studied in NUS. In fact, she went on to say that she is “proud to be Southeast Asian because of Jose Rizal”. I was totally unprepared to hear such a statement. I looked at her and replayed her words in my head and thought about the irony of hearing an Indian Singaporean (who is racially more South Asian than Southeast Asian) say that it was my national hero who imbued her with a sense of Southeast Asian pride. I wonder how many of my countrymen could genuinely say the same thing about our beloved founding father, Jose Rizal, who had spent all his life trailblazing and shattering barriers so that we his people need not begin our journey from darkness but rather simply walk on the path that he painstakingly fought hard for us.
Recently, I made a quick stop at a 711 store in Baguio just before attending a Brown Raise Youth Org gathering. What initially appeared as typical visit to a 711 outlet became one unforgettable time of reflection and soul searching. One bottled juice drink called Mogu Mogu caught my attention because of its fun and funky packaging and its unique branding as a refreshing drink made with fruit juice and natural nata de coco. At first, I thought that it was a Japanese product because of the Japanese text in its packaging but I was stunned to discover that it is in fact a product of Thailand. Mogu Mogu may not be as big a brand as Tipco (Thailand’s number one fruit juice brand for more than a decade) or Dutch Mill (Thailand’s favorite fruit flavored yoghurt beverage) but it is one product that shocked me on two levels: first, it used a distinctly Filipino culinary invention, nata de coco, as a substitute for fruit pulp; and second, by the way it educated the consumer about the health benefits of nata de coco. The beverage comes with a child-friendly info card that says “Hello! I’m Mogu Mogu, a natural chewy Nata de Coco blended with real fruit juice. You might wonder who I am. I’m coconut jelly! Just try me and feel like drinking fresh fruit juice with real pulp! Nata de Coco is high with dietary fiber but with no cholesterol and zero fat”.
Mogu Mogu, a natural chewy Nata de Coco blended with real fruit juice.
Images of Thailand’s world class products Tipco, Dutch Mill, and Mogu Mogu as well as its countless sauces and flavorful recipes rapidly flashed in my mind. A fellow Southeast Asian nation, Thailand has finally conquered the shelves and racks of the groceries and convenience stores in the Philippines. In my heart, I was weeping for the Philippines. I thought that the triumphant story of Thailand could also be the story of my beloved country if we Filipinos only begin to understand our call to live, fight, and die for the honor and glory of our nation. This time, I did not even have to travel abroad to experience first hand the new kind of warfare being waged in global arena. While searching for some refreshments at 711, it dawned on me that the 21st century is indeed an era made only for those who dare to fight for one’s race and motherland. As Samuel Huntington prophetically put it, we now live in a time of a “clash of civilizations” and what a raging ‘clash’ it truly is!
Nata de Coco with Mango.
If there is one country that should have capitalized on nata de coco and the coconut in general, it is the Philippines. The Philippines had been the world’s number one producer of coconut products until India had taken the lead in 2008. What have we done to the abundant wealth given to us? Are we simply content with exporting raw products that fail to engage and capture the imagination of the 21st century consumer? Are we merely oblivious bystanders in the new world order?
Going back to one of my travels to the little yet great empire of Singapore, I am painfully reminded of a dinner conversation I had with my Singaporean foster father who I fondly call Uncle Stephen.
Uncle Stephen: “As a young Filipino, I want to know what dreams you have for your country.”
Sagwan Namwaran: “I want the Philippines to someday honorably stand side by side Singapore and Japan in the hall of nations and I want to see this happen in my lifetime. I will do everything in my personal capacity to make sure that this happens as soon as possible.”
With a deep sigh and a pained expression on his face, Uncle Stephen responded by saying that “We Singaporeans are just waiting for the Philippines to mature as a people and as a nation.”
I was completely astonished to hear such a frank yet heartfelt insight about the sad situation of the Philippines from a fellow Asian. It was as if the Singaporeans themselves are pained over my nation’s inability to ride the wave of the rise of Asia in the 21st century. It made me ask myself whether we Filipinos are as inwardly crushed or, worse, even aware of the way the world sees the Philippines today. It made me wonder how Dr. Jose Rizal would have felt upon hearing such a heart wrenching conversation.
José Rizal Memorial in Singapore.
At the end of the day, I realized that our lives will be measured by the largeness and the intensity of the fight that we are waging for our race and motherland. But even before we can wield our swords and fire our cannons, we must first come to terms with the fact that we are created as Filipinos, brown in body, soul, and spirit. The path to maturity and eventual victory begins with this first step.
Onward, Brown Raise Soldiers!
~Sagwan Namwaran
May 10th, 2009 at 04:07 PM
Indeed we are facing a battle of the ages. One that we can say a “fight of our lives”. But it seems to me that our people does not even know there is war everlongly brewing. They say this war meet its end when our Philippines acclaimed independence as a nation back when we were still under the Spanish regime. And also when the Americans left us as a republic. But little did we know that this never ceasing war of repulsion of identity and pride have lasted even until now. It’s like waging war without knowing the soldiers are unprepared for anything.
Let us not be blind to things that which possess of great value. Our PRIDE, our IDENTITY. It is the most precious possession a human being could have in this Earth and yet we tend to throw it all away just for hard, cold money.
Seeing the slow decline of our country’s INDEPENDENCE as a nation and experiencing the meek movement of regaining back the identity and pride by the Brown Raise Movement, I can say we are now witnessing the ascend to the climax of this so called war.
WAKE UP, FILIPINOS! THERE IS BATTLE WE HAVE TO FACE.
Like soldiers in the battlefield, they rely not only to the sophisticated tools and weaponry that they possess but also to the accurate and reliable data of everything that is happening around them. Without this critical data, the chances of winning or yet even survive is oblivious and slim.
Relate this to a Filipino of great talent and skill with resources of boast-like stature, a direct descendant of Rizal himself. But the bereavement of self-onsciousness, pride and dignity will halt its glory in a moment’s notice.
Let us not wait to dicover the truth in an untimely circumstance of that in a convinient store and sing “Let It Be”.
Again, the answer, my friends…is up to us.
PARA SA PILIPINAS, PARA SA MAYKAPAL!
May 10th, 2009 at 05:31 PM
Alam ko hindi ako dapat malungkot o matuwa dahil sa mga nababasa ko dito sa blog na ito… hindi ako dapat malungkot dahil alam kong may pag-asa ang kinabukasan ng Pilipinas, at hindi ako dapat matuwa dahil napakasakit ng sinasapit ng ating abang bayan. Tama ang isang sipi na aking natutunan sa isa sa mga turo, “Hindi tayo dapat maghanap ng mas magaan na dalahin, kundi isang mas malakas at matibay na likod para dalhin ang lahat ng ito. [we must not seek for lighter burdens, but stronger backs]“. Totoong maraming dapat ayusin at dapat alamin. Ang mga Pilipino ay hindi mangmang, mayroon tayong kayang gawin at simulan nating tuklasin ito! Kaya Ka-BRYORG, sulong ang kabataang P.A.L.A.B.A.N.!
May 10th, 2009 at 05:40 PM
“We are truly only as good as the lowest of our kind.”-Sagwan Namwaran
dahil sa mga salitang iyan
Mas napaglinaw ko sa sarili ko na hindi kanya kanya ang laban dito.(global arena)
Hindi magtatagal tatayo ang bawat Pilipino at ipapakita at sasabihin ng buong puso sa buong mundo na “Iisa lang ang bayang mamahalin ko- ang Pilipinas”
At iyan ay dapat magmula sa ating mga kabataan.
Bryorg TODO!
May 10th, 2009 at 05:43 PM
Dapat tayo ang may produkto na higit pa sa mga produkto ng Thailand. Hindi dahil kinokomptensya natin sila, kapwa natin sila Asyano, pero diba mas mayaman ang bansa natin sa kanila? Ano ang nakikita ng mga kapwa natin Asyano na hindi natin nakikita, katulad nga ng isang narinig ko sa mga lectures sa Brownraise, “Give us Mindanao, and we will feed the world” ika ng isang Hapon. Ano ang nakikita nila na hindi natin nakikita, kailangan natin ng Brown Raise, kelangan natin talaga ng BRYORG! Para makita natin ang isang bansang magsasabi “Yes indeed! We will feed the world!” Kudos to the Brown Raise team…
May 10th, 2009 at 05:43 PM
I believe that Philippines has so much to give and there are lots of things to be proud of. It’s just that, sometimes the flaws are with us Filipinos. We couldn’t espy possibilities in our land when in fact there are many… They’re just there, waiting for us to notice them.
May 10th, 2009 at 07:47 PM
totoo po talaga pag hindi po tayo yung gumagamit ng ating kayamanan, iba po yung ang gagamit. sayang po, kung magaaral lang po tayo, malalaman po natin kung gano kayaman ang ating bansa. kaya po natin binebenta ang ating bansa e, we don’t know that almost all our lands are rich in minerals. sana po isang araw magiging biyaya po tayo sa mundo at hindi na tayong tatawaging mga alipin dahil po sa ating pagmamahal sa bansa at pagiging isang buong nayon.
May 10th, 2009 at 07:58 PM
When I heard Sagwan Namwaran shared the story about the conversation he had with his foster father (during the BRYORG), i was both happy and sad. I was happy because our fellow Asians have love and care for us. They know the problems we are facing right now. And sad because, I know that not all of us Filipinos have care for these problems. But I know, there is still hope in the Philippines.
I also have the same dream that Sagwan Namwaran answered his foster father. I also want to see the rise of the Philippines during my lifetime.
May 10th, 2009 at 09:03 PM
Hindi alintana na talagang tayo ay nasa gitna na ng isang malawakang digmaan at maari pa nating sabihin ito na ang ikatlong digmaang pandaigdig. isang uri ng digmaan hindi pa naranasan ng tao, dahil ang digmaang ito ay hindi nangangailangang ng malalakas na sandata.
tulad ng sinabi ni ginoong Winston Churchill “The empires of the future are the empires of the mind.”, ang uri ng pananakop ngayon ay sa pamamagitan na ng utak at kagalingan ng isang bansa. tulad nalamang ng mga produkto sa 7/11, karamihan ng produtko dito ay gawa ng isang banyagang kumpanya na kungsaan tayo ang nagturo sa kanila kung paano ito gawin. Unti unti tayong sinasakop ng mga bansang ito sa pamamagitan ng kanilang produkto.Hindi nga ba at karamihan ng kumpanya dito sa Pilipinas ay Kumpanya ng banyaga? Dito nalamang sa Sesion rd. ng Baguio, mula upper session hangang lower sesion, american,korean,japanese ang mga kainang makikita mo.
Isa pa, kung dati dati ay kinakailangan ng isang mananakop na pumunta isang bansa upang alipinin ang mga mamamayan nito, ngayon ang mamamayan na mismo ang pumupunta sa banyagang bansa upang maging alipin sa pagaakalang mas magiging maganda ang buhay nila sa bansang iyon. hindi ngabat nagpapakamatay pa tayo para lamang maka kuha ng “VISA”.
nakakalunkot isipin ngunit mukang ang bansang Pilipinas ay muli nanamang kailangang makawala sa pagkakasakop ng ibang bansa. dati nang pinagbuhusan ng dugo ng ating mga ninuno ang bansang ito, naway hindi masayang ang buhay nila dahil sa kapabayaan natin mga pilipino ngayon. Naway tayo ay lumaban lalo na tayong mga kabataan. wag nating kalimutan na ang pagasa ng bayan ay tayong mga kabataan eka nga ni Dr. Jose Rizal.
May 10th, 2009 at 09:28 PM
Grabe, bakit sila may pakialam sa atin pero tayong mga Pilipino na mismong may hawak sa Pilipinas, mismong may hawak ng kasaysayan ni Rizal ay nakatunganga? Buti nalang may Brown Raise. ♥
May 10th, 2009 at 10:29 PM
Fantastic review.
I can’t believe Singapore even has a Rizal memorial in their own country which I believe is very nice.
But on the contrary, some parts in Singapore even discriminate Filipinos like in some hotels, Filipinos are not allowed to use elevators yet pets are allowed.
Unbelievable right?
May 10th, 2009 at 10:30 PM
This post saddened me… And it reminded me of an encounter I had with some people in National Bookstore today, as well as my short stint in Malaysia last year.
A young lady, skimpily dressed, clinged to her old American boyfriend. Her boyfriend suggested to buy a book on Philippine history and she proudly replied: “I’m not interest!”
Two young boys were “trying very hard” to speak English. I overheard them saying they need to converse more often in English in preparation for their migration.
Indeed, the colonizers have been long gone, but the they grips they have on our people are still strong – we still think less of ourselves as Filipinos.
Entering KL’s international airport for the first time made me shrink – Cebu’s and NAIA are just in the pinky’s tip. Indeed, traveling abroad is a crucial litmus test in our instrospection for ourselves, for our people and for our nation.
Conversations made during my short stint in Malaysia made me conclude that they are not far from us intellectually, we are even better (in fact I was there to train them). They envy our familial values. They envy our freedom of speech. It is ironic that they envy many things from us, yet they have more. They have seen many things which they come short, but our hyperopic vision made us focus not on these values others envy but on the value of being “another” in a far place, perhaps with snow and white Christmas.
“At the end of the day, I realized that our lives will be measured by the largeness and the intensity of the fight that we are waging for our race and motherland. But even before we can wield our swords and fire are canons, we must first come to terms with the fact that we are created as Filipinos, brown in body, soul, and spirit. The path to maturity and eventual victory begins with this first step.”
I share in this belief… Onward we must go indeed!!!
May 10th, 2009 at 10:41 PM
While searching for some refreshments at 711, it dawned on me that the 21st century is indeed an era made only for those who dare to fight for one’s race and motherland. As Samuel Huntington prophetically put it, we now live in a time of a “clash of civilizations” and what a raging ‘clash’ it truly is!
“We Singaporeans are just waiting for the Philippines to mature as a people and as a nation.”
At the end of the day, I realized that our lives will be measured by the largeness and the intensity of the fight that we are waging for our race and motherland. But even before we can wield our swords and fire are canons, we must first come to terms with the fact that we are created as Filipinos, brown in body, soul, and spirit. The path to maturity and eventual victory begins with this first step.
Onward, Brown Raise Soldiers!
Maraming salamat po Sir Sagwan Namwaran… Grabe po tinamaan po ako sa mga nabasa ko especially sa mga statements na aking idiniin… Sana nga po huwag dumating ang panahon na halos lahat na ng nasa atin eh makikita nating inaangkin na ng iba bayan at wala ng matira sa atin…
Napakasakit isipin na unti unti ng nangyayari eto.
Pilipinas kelan ka gigising! Wag mo na sanang hayaang mabaon ka sa kumunoy ng mundo!
Magtulungan tayo mga Pilipino… Hindi pa huli ang lahat…
May 10th, 2009 at 11:20 PM
Many times we don’t realize that something is wrong with our race until we get to compare our beliefs and lifestyles with people who live in other countries. We have to be forced to see the light because we have been so used to doing what’s wrong that we don’t realize how corrupt we have become as a people. That, for me, is one of the greatest advantages of traveling to other countries. I’ve been to Canada, and there I saw firsthand that submitting to the government laws really benefits the people. Services in Canada are VERY efficient because the citizens follow the rules. They respect authority. Unlike us Filipinos, they generally do not spend most of their time complaining without doing anything productive and trying to go around the rules just to be able to get what they want. Now I’m not saying we should now all migrate to Canada because of greener pastures. The point is that when we travel, we shouldn’t merely enjoy the luxuries, the malls or the beautiful sights of a prosperous country. Instead, we must be open to learning another nation’s virtues while rejecting the damaged aspects of its culture. Before we can adapt the virtues of another, we must first be able to admit that there is something terribly wicked about us. Now THAT is the first step towards the rebirth of the Filipino people.
May 10th, 2009 at 11:25 PM
Many times we don’t realize that something is wrong with our race until we get to compare our beliefs and lifestyles with people who live in other countries. We have to be forced to see the light because we have been so used to doing what’s wrong that we don’t realize how corrupt we have become as a people. That, for me, is one of the greatest advantages of traveling to other countries. I’ve been to Canada, and there I saw firsthand that submitting to the government laws really benefits the people. Services in Canada are VERY efficient because the citizens follow the rules. They respect authority. Unlike us Filipinos, they generally do not spend most of their time complaining without doing anything productive and trying to go around the rules just to be able to get what they want. Now I’m not saying we should now all migrate to Canada because of greener pastures. The point is that when we travel, we shouldn’t merely enjoy the luxuries, the malls or the beautiful sights of a prosperous country. Instead, we must be open to learning another nation’s virtues while rejecting the damaged aspects of its culture. Before we can adapt the virtues of another, we must first be able to admit that there is something terribly wicked about us. Now THAT is the first step towards the rebirth of the Filipino people.
May 11th, 2009 at 12:43 AM
It would be redundant to say that this is true and if that were so I would be merely restating the obvious because everything written hear deserves a loud and hard tap on the table, and a quick answer: “Oo nga no, naku,oo nga naman pala. Kaya naman pala.”
But, but, but, allow me to reiterate that indeed as explicitly discoursed–we can only win in the battle GLOBALLY if we begin to make “love of nation” an integral part of our soul and our being as Filipinos.
Even in the literary scene–many Indonesian and Malaysian writers these days are being recognized globally and who knows in 5 or 10 years, or next year! they will have their first Nobel Prize Medalists; and that will be tragic for us Filipinos because Jose Rizal–the first Filipino and the first novelist in Philippine Literature is also the first political novelist in Asia who was able to inspire the likes of Suharto and Gandhi. If there was already a Nobel Prize in 1896, Rizal could have been the first Asian Nobel Laureate because of his enigmatic novels; or if he was not yet executed until 1901 (he could have been, correct me if I’m wrong, 40 years old) surely he would have rocked the world, won the Nobel Prize, and defeated Tagore.
The reason why in literature, even if this is something that we’re supposed to have a premium slot because our national hero is an avant-garde novelist, we are not as globally recognized as our neighboring Asian nations is this: the new breed of writers we have now are so Westernized and they don’t write about local colors, national identity, and patriotism anymore. And the scariest thing is–F. Sionil Jose, one of the last man standing, is already in his twilight years and has few disciples, very few. Majority of the emerging writers these days write about western things like homosexuality, sex, teenage pregnancy, gothic, punk, coffee shops, dating, relationships, family, money, fame, wealth, pragmatism and what have they. The Filipino flavor has become stale. Only a handful would write about our beautiful places, our history,and even the plight of our OFWs. They’ve all climbed the ivory tower and have embraced the art for art’s sake mantra of their elitist ancestors instead of the art for society’s sake virtue imbued in the novels of Pepe (Rizal) and Frankie (Sionil Jose).
When we know the way out of our labyrinth-like plight all we have to do is fight our dizziness. If need be we need to follow what Florante did so he’d capture the mythical bird.
May 11th, 2009 at 12:55 PM
BAKIT?
BAKIT kailangang taga ibang bansa pa ang magsabi na she’s”proud to be a Southeast Asian because of Jose Rizal”, e diba national hero natin sya?
BAKIT ang mga taga Thailand pa ang dapat makadiscover ng health benefits ng nata de coco at gawin itong juice at i-market sa asya, e diba bumabaha ng nata de coco dito sa Pinas?
BAKIT ba sa NUS pag pinag-aaralan ang mga sinulat, gawa at buhay ni Jose Rizal, na iinspire sila, samantalang pag sa “Rizal Class” natin dito ang nabibigyang emphasis sa buhay nya ay ang kanyang mga ‘chicks’ (babae), ang ‘pagkarebelde kuno’ at ang iba pang mga ‘bisyo’ nya ang highlights?
BAKIT ba naging kiringkita na ang mga mayuyuming Pinay and ‘marriage (to foreigners) became their preoccupation…’tsk..tsk..tsk.. ganyan naba tayo kababaw?
BAKIT ang baba na talaga ng tingin satin ng mga taga Asya, e diba noong Korean War, nagpadala tayo ng tulong sa kanila,? Kinupkop dito s Pinas ang mga Vietnamese Refugees? Noong ang China at Singapore ay tinatawag pang ‘Sick man of Asia’, sumasahimpapawid na ang unang eroplano sa Asia na mula sa Pinas?
BAKIT NAGKAGANITO ANG PILIPINAS?
BAKIT, masipag bang mag-aral, at magbasa tayong mga Pilipino?
BAKIT, pag nagtrabaho ba tayo iniisip natin ang BANSA o hanggang PAMILYA lang natin ang dapat umasenso ?
BAKIT, pag may puti o banyaga, nakikipagbatbatan ba tayo o BILIB tayo kagad sa kanila?
BAKIT kailangang sila pa ang magsabi nito “We Singaporeans are just waiting for the Philippines to mature as a people and as a nation.”?
BAKIT may BRYORG?….tol ‘FOR SUCH AS TIME AS THIS.’
May 11th, 2009 at 11:07 PM
Hindi malayong isiping wala pa tayong nagagawa kahit pa isang fruit drink na nagmula pa sa ating likas na yaman. Ito lamang ang naglalarong tanong sa akin kung bakit ganito pa rin ang ating kaisipin at mga palaisipang tumatakbo sa ating mga isipan.
Aking napagtanto kaya may BRYORG sa panahong ito para mabago ang imahe ng ating bansa’t lumayo sa KAHIHIYANG nararanasan natin.
May 11th, 2009 at 11:26 PM
matinding sakit.
may matinding sakit sa puso, ang mga Filipino kayat nakalimutan na nilang mamulat sa katotohanan.
may matinding sakit sa isip, dahil nawalan na ng pag-asang mag-aral, magtrabaho para sa sariling bayan.
may matinding sakit sa katawan, na kaya niyang ipagkaloob ang kanyang katauhan para sa isang banyaga upang magkaroon nga karagdagang kita.
may matinding sakit tayo, dahil nakuntento na tayo sa ating sitwasyon na maging alipin ng mga banyaga., takot umasenso, maging malikhain…, dahil nagiging tamad matuto sa mga bagong teknolohiya. tsk tsk tsk
SANA HINDI PA CANCER ITO.
May 12th, 2009 at 11:18 AM
While reading this…
I was in deep pain because it could have been ours. Nata de coco is ours and we are too blind to see the riches in us…
I remember a line of a song… It goes this way,
“Take of the shackles of my feet so I can dance…”
When will the imaginary shackles of our hearts be taken off… so we will not be bound anymore…
*sigh*
May 12th, 2009 at 06:54 PM
I can’t help myself to shed a tear as I read through. Our recent situation is truly disheartening. But we should not stop there. This gives us a great opportunity to stand up and let the whole world rediscover our heritage, as the ‘Pride of the Malay Race’ and the ‘Glory of the Universities’.
I will always have a sense of pride hearing that other nations find it necessary or are interested in learning about our national hero, Jose Rizal. Recently, I have been reading about him as well. It opened my eyes to the real Rizal and was overwhelmed, to say the least, with his passion, mission and devotion to our country in spite the circumstances and limitations that he is faced with. The irony with this, and it saddens me the most, is how little is being taught in our schools about our hero. In college, there is a subject Rizal but it barely covers the essentials. It’s a pity that other nations know more about him than we do. It’s such a shame!
So for us, who are now awakened, we must take an active part in this fight. The need can no longer be ignored…
May 12th, 2009 at 11:14 PM
A country without a sense of culture is not a country or a nation; just an island, archipelago, or a piece of land in a continent.
A country without a sense of history is non-existent and invisible to the world because it is through history that a nation’s fabric is weaved with strands of heroic deeds,culture, national pride, and patriotism.
It is through the amalgamation of the citizens’ virtue, faith,and patriotism that makes a country a country, lacking of these things is dangerous and will lead to a nation’s obscurity, and even atrophy.
Our apathy is causing us cultural, economic, historical, national atrophy on a grand scale.
May 14th, 2009 at 12:36 AM
I just had a momentous hinge while rereading this article for the ummmpth time until it stuck to my senses that the more we dig our country’s History the more we are able to understand the events, either past or present, around the globe. Just like having an inner life; the more the outside world becomes meaningful if you have that so-called “Inner Life”. It’s so amazing to really experience that being Historical is parallel to being Biblical in such a time as this.
May 14th, 2009 at 05:29 PM
Hindi tayo makakalaban sa giyera hangat di tayo nagawagi sa mga panloob na giyera sa ating buhay. Patuloy na mawawala ang isa-isa sa atin ang lahat ng ating yaman kung patuloy tayong magpapatalo sa mga giyerang ito.
Maipapayo ko lang n maglagay sana ng mag sipi mula sa binliya na pupwede dipende sa paksa upang mas magkaroon ng pundasyon ang sinasabi ng mga komentarista sa blog na ito.
salamat po
Pagpalain ng Diyos ang bansa ni Rizal
May 16th, 2009 at 03:57 PM
marami pa talaga tayong dapat maintindihan bilang isang Pilipino pero nakakalungkot dahil karamihan sa atin ay sarado na ang mga mata sa katotohanan at ayaw nang ding makinig..
pero sa isang banda, nakakatuwa din na may ilan pa ring nakakaintindi sa mga bagay na kagaya nito..
May 18th, 2009 at 04:52 PM
Paakatapos ko mabasa ang post na ito, gusto kong maiyak para sa ating bansa. Ano na ba talaga ang nangyari sa Pilipinas? Nasaan na ang Pilipinas na ipinaglaban ng ating mga bayani upang maging isang ganap na bansa.Ano ang nangyari sa bansa na pinagalayan ni Jose Rizal ng dugo. Bakit hindi natin magawa ang ginagawa nila para sa ating bayan. Nasa atin ring mga Pilipino ang diperensya kaya hanggang ngayon, lugmok pa rin tayo at hindi kayang sabayan ang bansa sa Asya. Pero, kahit ngayon ay ganito ang ating sitwasyon, naniniwala ako na hangga’t may mga kabataang gaya natin, na may pagmamahal sa ating bansa at ipaglalaban ito kahit anong mangyari, walang dudang malapit na ang panahon kung saan unti-unti rin tayong tatayo muli sa pagkakadapa at magiging isang magaling na bansa. Ang totoong PILIPINAS na nasa puso natin.
May 21st, 2009 at 05:37 PM
if we are to believe this study (http://www1.american.edu/TED/coconut.htm), there was an effort to cash in on the nata de coco (presumably as raw material and not as a fully packaged product).
and not to add more “insult to injury”. but have you seen this (apparently) Singaporean website (http://www.juicycubes.com/main.htm).
May 23rd, 2009 at 10:27 AM
Lahat tayong mga pilipino, kahit nahihirapan ng maiahon ang kani-kanilang pamilya sa hirap ay dumidiskarte parin kahit mahirap kumuha ng pera.
Sa totoo lang, lagi kong itinatanong sa sarili ko, nakikita ba talaga ng gobyerno ang hirap ng kanilang kababayan o sadya lang ba talaga silang bulag?
May 24th, 2009 at 05:14 PM
Lahat ata ng mga bansa sa asya o sa buong mundo eh alam kung ano ang sabit natin mga Pilipino bilang isang BANSA. Hindi naman talaga sa ating MALING LIDERATO, kundi sa ating pagka PILIPINO mismo. Nakukulong ating mga kaalaman kung ano ang meron lang tayo, takot tayong maging magaling, takot tayong makaalam ng bagong kaalaman. Iba ating naging focus, imbis na sa mga libro natin tinutuon ang ating mga oras eh sa mga sex scandals at sa mga non-sense na mga tsismis natin tinutuon ang ating pago’t oras. Sa mga iskwelahan puro tsismis ang inaatupag imbis na mag basa ng mga bagong libro. Takot tayo maging merong alam kasi kinakantyawan tayo ng mga kaibigan natin.
May 24th, 2009 at 07:50 PM
I firmly believe that the future of our country, the Philippines, will only depend to us Filipinos. No matter what happened in the past, it should not serve as a hindrance for the improvement of this country. We should not focus on things that already happened cause it will only make us realize the adversities of our heroes. It will make us downhearted and this will never help nor contribute to the progress of our country. What we need to do is look up to the brighter side and stand strong just like the Molave, strong in it’s own fiber. So be it.:)
July 4th, 2009 at 04:00 PM
What it says at “battlefield 711” is very true about us Filipinos. we seek exported products it all started when diosdado macapagal decleared that our products be competed against other countries but we never made very good products. the writer said:” We are truly only as good as the lowest of our kind.” Unlike the Filipinos who have past on we today our identity no longer exists. Are we Filipinos who are, like Nabisco’s infamous chocolate quoted cookie, brown on the outside and white on the inside? Or are we Filipinos who are heirs of the great legacy of Jose Rizal, the ‘Pride of the Malay Race’ and the ‘Glory of the Universities’? see our own identiny is lost we are “litong-lito” our identity is what we must fight for.We have products like “nata de coco” in which other countries are using ,we don’t take pride in our own products in our own culture.let me just share this during independence day we Filipinos say that we take pride in our own selves our culture and as the brown raise . but if we go abroad they ask us are we Filipinos some of us say we are not . we have to feel anger or fire inside our hearts we no longer can find the identity “ang lahing kayummangi” no longer can we find it . it breaks my heart to see things like “wowwowe” do we see Easteners who do that we are like a western eastern country. I ask where do we belong inside the continent asia or we don’t know we have to have a sense of life here people. We can no longer weep to the filiponos if we don’t stand united. Filipinos go to church every Sunday and what do they pray for. A miracle. Nothing like that will ever happen if you don’t have a sense of pride for your god gifted identity.the author also said:” It goes without saying that travel to multiple foreign destinations is considered an enviable opportunity by most Filipinos, I believe, however, that the opposite is true. International travel is, by and large, a crucial litmus test for any citizen of any nation simply because it allows a rare opportunity for one to see himself and his race versus the world in real time and space.In other words, travel exposes what one carries in his own heart.” ~Sagwan Namwaran.
July 8th, 2009 at 08:10 PM
It’s really disappointing.
It took a person from another country to say that shes proud to be an Asian because of Jose Rizal. Ni minsan hindi pa ako nakarinig ng kapwa ko Pilipino na nagsabing proud siya dahil kay Rizal.
“We Singaporeans are just waiting for the Philippines to mature as a people and as a nation.”
Iyon ang isa sa mga salita na magpapagising sa atin sa katotohanan na napagiiwanan na ang Pilipinas sa lahat ng bansa sa timog silangang asya.
Bakit hindi natin magawa na maipasikat ang Pilipinas sa ibang bansa tulad ng ginawa nila sa atin? Bakit sila pa ang kailangan magpaalam sa atin na tayo ay mababa na sa paningin nila?
Sana ay marami pang Pilipino ang magkaroon ng parehong paningin sa buhay na kailangan na tayong bumangon.
July 10th, 2009 at 06:15 PM
We Filipinos should always do the right thing !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
and innovate more, go Pinoys!
July 17th, 2009 at 01:29 PM
We Filipinos are starting to dream for the country, but some feel like they can’t do what they have in mind for their country. Well if you can’t do it then what should you do? There is only one thing, the most effective way to do it is to do it. It’s time for the Filipinos to rise! We should be proud of who we are!
XxBlackWolfDreamerxX GO FILIPINOS!!!!!!!!!!!
July 17th, 2009 at 07:33 PM
things should be changed…we should keep our minds wide open and start thinking and innovating!!!we must change the way how other people view and think of us…
brownraise!!!
July 18th, 2009 at 07:55 PM
Aren’t we a country that is rich in coconuts? We used to be the largest producer of coconuts and I can’t believe we just took it away. Somethings should be changed. We should start thinking with our minds wide opened. Let us innovate more by first discovering the riches of our country!
-FutureWriter20-
July 30th, 2009 at 08:56 AM
Philippine products = [((technology management + research and development) + entrepreneurship) x Brown Raise] – corruption.
August 8th, 2009 at 12:34 AM
Start the dream my dear countrymen! How can we express so much pain that even our fellow Asian nations’ are awaiting for yet another of their very good comrade to stand tall and become a world renowned nation that seeks to fight the open seas. We are a country of heartfelt flame to strive and be the best in every single endeavor. Please do not forget, WE are FINELY CHOSEN! I’m proud to be a Filipino!
August 11th, 2009 at 08:00 PM
dapat nga tayong mag “export” ng mga bagay sa ibang nga bansa. dapat tayo ay maging palaban na kabataan. maraming naiwan na bakas ng tagumpay ang ating mga bayani. Kaya natin gumawa ng mga produkto gamit ang ating yamang likas. Tayo ay biniyayaan ng Diyos ng isang bansang mayaman sa yamang tubig pati ng yamang lupa. Dapat tayo ay gumawa ng paraan para mabawi ang ating posisyon na isa sa mga pinakatanyag na bansa.Dati tayo ang nagbibigay ng kanin at palay sa Thailand, ngunit ngayon, kabaligtaran ang nangyayari. Sila ang pinakamaraming na ibibigay na palay sa iba’t ibang bansa, kasama na tayo. Patok na patok na rin ang tipco, dutchmill , mogumogu at iba pang mga inuming galing sa Thailand dito saatin. Dapat ang atin ang patok sa iba’t ibang bansa.Kaya natin ‘to, pilipino!